Liquid cooler



Jan. 17, 1-933. COPP 1,894,441

LIQUID COOLER Filed Nov. 2. 1951 Q 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Maw/ 73440; C2 0.

Jan.

LIQUID COOLER Filed Nov, 2, 1931 $heet 2 Q r p kl,

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Patented Jan. 17, 1933 NESTED sures OFFICE RALPH coPr, or s r. Lou s, MissouRr, .AssIGNQR To rEvEmr nAiRir dean; F s'r. LOUIS, mssormr, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI LIQUID Application filed November This invention relates to liquid coolers.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for cooling liquids comprising a series of parallel vertical pipes opening at their upper and lower ends into horizontal header pipes containing a refrigerant, in combination with means for spreading a flow of liquid over said pipes so that the liquid will flow by gravity along said pipes, and in combinationwith a'tank enclosing the cooling unit arranged insuch a manner that effective cooling will occur whether the withdrawal be constant and directly after the liquid has flowed over the pipes, or whether the tank be used as a storage reservoir and the liquid be withdrawn as required.

"Another object of the invention-is to pro! vide' a device of the character described including a tank enclosing the refrigerating unit which will be effective regardless of the levelof the liquid in the tank or the rate of Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved cooler with the wall of the enclosing tank partly broken away. I I a Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the cooler approximately on the line 2-2, Fig. 3. I a I Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the cooler shown'in Fig. 2. I

Fig.4 is a detail partly in section of a float controlled valve included in' the invention. The refrigerating unit of the cooler is mounted in a tank 1, which may be supported by upright members 2, and may be-supported inside the tank by hangers 3. The upper header, to which the hangers 3 are secured, comprises ahorizontal' pipe 4 and the lower header comprises a horizontal pipe 5. These horizontal pipes 4'and 5 are connected bya'longitudinal series of vertical pipes 6, the upper ends of which open'into the pipe 4 andthe lower ends of which open into the pipe 5. The pipes 6 are oflessdiameter than the pipes'4 and-5. I I

The pipe 4 has communication, through a pipe section 7, with a liquid chamber 8, from coorQER" 2,1931. Serial No. 572,595.

ne'ction'll. From the upper end of the cham- I here a pipe 12 extendsto an absorberor compressor (not shown) and is equipped with a back pressure valve device 13, ofany known or appropriate construction, which acts to hold a constant pressureand thereby maintain, approximately a constant temperature in the refrigerating unit,jbut, does not prevent passage of the gasified refrigerant there: through when the pressure in the cooler exceeds the predetermined amount of pressure. I return pipe 14 forthe condensed refrigeran t has communication through a pipe 15 with thelpipe 9 by either i of two paths, through a float controlled valve 16 and a pipe 17,. controlled by a manually operablevalve 18, or'I through a pipe-'19 controlled by a manually operable-valve 20. I I v I j The valv e 16 is operated by a link 21 pivotally connected toa lever 22, towhich is s e' curedal'float23 by an arm24. Thus, when thevalve in the pipe 19 closed and the valve 18 in the pipe 17 isopen, the float oper ated valve 16 will be .efiective to automatically maintain' a constant levelA of 1i uid refrigerant as illustrated in Fig. 4 an as shown by dotted line Fig. 1. lf manual operationfis desired the valve 18 is closed and the level of liquid regulated manually by the valve "20. It is to be understood, however, that the circulating pump 10 is effective to maintain the refrigerant inthe vertical pipes 6 to the top thereof. I I A distributingdevice comprises a pipe'25, supported by the hangers. 3- and having through its lower side numer'ous outlet open ings 26, These openings 26 constitute a longitudinal series of openings immediately above the'pipe 4 so that any liquid discharged throughithe openings 26 is discharged upon the upper portion of the pipe 4.- A portion of this liquid passes directly from the surface ofthe pipe 4 tothe vertical pipes 6. The remaining portionof thisliquid passes from the surface of the pipe4 to distributor strips 27, located between and connecting with the upper ends of'the pipes 6 and also connectgitudinal series ing with the lower side of the pipe 4t and having on their opposite side downwardly d1- verging grooves 28. That portion of the liquid flowing from the pipe 4 to the distribe utor strips 27 is to the respective pipes 6 so that all of the liquid is caused to flow downwardly along the pipes 6 and is thereby subject to the cooling action of the refrigerant.

A supply pipe 29 opens into a pipe 30, supported longitudinally within the pipe and spaced therefrom. The pipe 30 is concentric with the pipe 2 L liquid is discharged into the pipe 24:.

. The tank has an outlet 82 controlled by manually operablevalve 33. The tank also has manholes 34c and covers 35 for convenience in construction, cleaning and repairing.

An agitator is provided for use when the level of the liquid to be cooled is permitted to rise in the tank-1. This agitator comprises a series of vanes 86 secured to a shaft 37 which may be rotated by a motor 38.

In operation the liquid to be cooled is admitted to the pipe30 from the pipe 29. From the pipe 30 the liquid to becooledipasses.

' through the openings 31 of the. pipe 25 and I thence through the openings 26130 the upper surface of the pipe 4 approximately throughout the length of said pipe a. The liquid flows downwardly across the opposite sides of the pipe 4, a portion of the liquid passing directly to the vertical pipes 6 and the remainder of the liquid passing tothe distributor strips 27 and being conducted along. the

' grooves 28 to the respective pipes 6. Thus the entire amount of liquid is caused to flow along the pipe 6 and across the lower pipe 5 whence it drops to the bottom of the tankl and will be directly removed through the pipe 32 when the valve 83 is open.

If, however, it be desired to use the tank 1 as a storage reservoir the level of the liquid to be cooled will rise in the tank 1. In such a case thecooling surface to which the liquid will be directly exposed will be reduced. By operatingtheagitator 36 the liquid inthe tank 1 W111 be circulated and thus compensation will be made for the reduction in the cooling surface directly exposed to the liquid in its downward travel along the pipes 6. It will be seen, therefore, that substantially the V samecooling effect will be obtained whether liquid is withdrawn directly from the tank after it has been passed over the pipes 6 or whether the liquid is allowed to accumulate to a relatively high level in the tank.

Parts of the invention may be used without the whole and various changes may be made inthe details of construction, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.-

Iclaim: V i H r 1. A cooleradapted' to contain afvolatile conducted by the grooves 28 and has therethrough a 1011- of holes 31 from which the refrigerating liquid and having a series of vertical pipes, a horizontal pipe opening into the upper ends zontal pipe opening into the lower ends of the vertical pipes, a chamber communicating at its top with the first mentioned horizontal pipe and at its bottom through a conduit of the vertical pipes, a horiwith the second mentioned horizontal pipe, 1 Y

a valve operated automatically. by afloat in said chamber and adapted to maintain in the chamber a level of -liquid below the first mentioned horizontal pipe, and a circulating pump located in said conduit and adapted to maintain liquid in the vertical pipes to the top thereof.

2. A cooler adapted to contain a volatile liquid refrigerant and having a top header, a bottom header, conduits intermediate said headers presenting. a relatively large outer surface, a chamber communicating at its top with the top header and at its bottom through a-vconduit with the bottomheadena valve operated automatically by a float in said chamber and adapted to. maintain in the chamber a level of liquid belowthe top header, and a circulating pump locatedin said conduit and adapted to maintain liquid infsaid intermediate conduits. to the top thereof.

"3. A cooler adapted to contain a volatile liquid refrigerant andhaving a top header,

a bottom header, conduits intermediate said headers presenting-a relatively large outer surface, a chamber: communicatingat :its topwit'h the topheader and at its bottom through a conduit with the bottomheader, a valve' operating automatically by afloat in said chamber and adapted to maintainin the chamber a levelof liquid below-the top header, a circulating pump located in said conduit'and adapted tomaintain liquid in 7 said, intermediate conduits to the top there-- 7 r i of, a conduit connected tosaid chamber above the level'ofliquid to be maintained therein, and a back pressure valve in said last named conduit adapted to maintain a substantially constant pressure in the cooleri f 4:. A'cooler of the characterfdescribed in-d. V eluding a tank,-a valved drain in the tank,

means'for agitating liquid in the tank, and arefrigerating unlt adapted to contain a fluid refrigerant and having a series of;ver-. tical p1pes, a horizontal pipe' opening into 7 the upper ends of said vertical pipes, means for d scharging liquid along the upperside of said horizontal pipe,and means for preventing-the liquid from dripping fromsaid horizontal pipe and causing the liquid to flow downwardly along saidvertical pipes.

Acooler of the character describedcomprising a tank, av'alved drain inthe bottom of the tank,an agitatorin the tank, and, a

refrigerating unit adapted tov contain a fiuid refrigerant and having a series of vertical pipes, a horizontalpipe openinginto the up per ends of said vertical pipes, a horizontal n pipe opening into the lower ends of said vertical pipes, means for discharging a liquid to be cooled along the upper side of said horizontal pipe, and means for preventing the liquid from dripping from the first mentioned horizontal pipe and causing the liquid to flow downwardly along said vertical pipes.

6. A cooler of the character described in-" cluding a tank, a valved drain in the tank, an agitator in the tank, a refrigerating unit in refrigerating unit. RALPH COPP. 

